Construction gage



Dec. 27, 1966 Filed March 16, 1964 Dec. 27, 1966 A. w. BORN 3,293,764

CONSTRUCTION GAGE Filed March 16, 1964 2 SheSJS-Sheet 2 ZIA INVNTOR wwwATTORNEY United States Patent() 3,293,764 CONSTRUCTION GAGE AlbertWilliam Born, 440 Pine St., Brea, Calif. 91502 Filed Mar. 16, 1964, Ser.No. 352,264 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-194) This invention relates to a gageuseful in the construction industry, and more particularly, to aconstruction gage which may be lused to align trim to openings such asdoorways, Windows, and the like, in buildings such as homes, apartments,oices, and the like.

In the present day construction industry, mass production is used almostexclusively to reduce the time of construction and limit constructioncost to a minimum. A great number of time saving devices have beenapplied to many phases of the construction, both in the preliminary andfinishing phases of carpentry. However, some of the iinish work has leftmuch to be desired, especially with regard to the arrangement of finishtrim to openings such as doorways, closets, windows, and the like.

Trim used in doorway openings and the like is essentially a strip ofdecorative wood placed in spaced relation to a doorway opening andwindow openings along both sides and top meeting in an angular joint,preferably at 45, to provide a finished appearance to the opening. Inthe past, a carpenter must measure the trim and cut it angularly beforearranging it on the opening. Some dithculty has been experienced bycarpenters attempting to accurately locate the trim with relation to theopening and position it in spaced relation to the opening while keepingit parallel along its entire length. In essence, the trim must bepositioned in two directions, and also be properly positioned such thatthe trim to which it is mated is accurately positioned. In the past, theeyeball method was frequently used in which the accuracy of the positionis dependent upon the skill of the craftsman placing the trim in place.Another more tedious but accurate method is to measure individually eachtrim and position it according to pencil marks placed upon the openingby the carpenter. Thus, it is readily apparent that the previous methodof attaching trim to openings have been at best left to the ingenuity ofthe individuals involved, which then balance the cost allocated to theinstallation of the trim versus the quality of the trim and itsaesthetic appearance visible to the buyer of the newly constructedresidence or building.

- In acco-rdance with my invention, I have eliminated the undesirablefeatures of the prior art methods of installing trim within newlyconstructed buildings. In using my invention, I have determined that thetime for installing the trim has been drastically reduced and has insome installations been so successful that the similar trim may beinstalled in one-third of the time previously required for any of themethods used by skilled craftsmen in installing such types of trim. Onefeature of my invention is a 'gage having an arrangement which allows acarpenter with little experience to install trim in a minimum of timewith a high quality appearance.

Briefly, my invention is a construction gage which has a pair of siderails resiliently connected together such that it may be snapped upon adoor jam and retained in place. Gaging surfaces are disposed on the siderails such that the trim may be gaged in two directions and the angularportion of the trim is properly positioned such that the abutting piecesof trim will also be accurately positioned with relation to the openingin the wall. An alternative embodiment provides a gage which both actsas a saw guide and an alignment gage.

Other features and advantages of my invention will become apparent whenconsidering the following specification and the drawings in which:

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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a construction gage constructed inaccordance with my present invention and positioned upo-n a door jam;

FIG. 1A is an elevation of a residential doorway opening withconstruction gages according to my invention arranged to support andgage a length of trim prior to its permanent attachment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a construction gageaccording to my invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of the construction gageillustrated in FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View of thegaging surface and saw guide of the gage illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4,the section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. l, a construction gage 10 includes a pair ofL-shaped side rails 11 and 12 resiliently linked'together by thebridging bars 13, such that the gage 10 may be resiliently retainedwithin the opening which is designated by the numeral 14, and thisopening is indicative of an opening in a doorway or window or the like.

The side rails 11 and 12 are symmetrical one to another, each havingcorresponding surfaces such that the rails may be used as gaging deviceson opposite sides of the opening 14. The rail 11 has a first gagingsurface 15, which abuts the horizontal portion of the opening and limitsthe upward movement of the gage 10 when positioned vertically asillustrated in FIG. l. A second gaging surface 16, disposed at rightangles with relation to gaging surface 15, is in spaced relationtherewith, and is used for abutting a length of trim T. An angulargaging surface, preferably positioned at 45 with relation to surface 16,is designated by the numeral 17 and provides a surface for thehorizontal location of the trim T. Thus, it is readily apparent that thegaging surface 16 provides the distance A, such that the trim T may bepositioned in spaced relation equal to the vertical distance A withrelatio'n to the opening 14. The angular surface 17 positions the trim Ta distance B with relation to the opening 14, and horizontally locatesthe trim T.

Similar numerals as designated with relation to the side rail 11 areindicated on the side rail 12 with the addition of the prime number,since it is evident that the side rails 11 and 12 are symmetrical in allrespects.

The horizontal gaging surface 15 provides the upper limit of themovement of the gage 10 and, therefore, aids in the proper dispositionof the horizontal gaging surface 16 to provide the distance A whenpositioning the trim T.

A pair of lugs 18 and 19 are rectangular solids each having a passagewaytherethrough 18A and 18B, respectively, and are integrally formed `onthe side rail 11.

The bridgin-g bars 13 include a pair of hemispherically shaped ends 20and 21, each having foot portions 20A, 20B and 21A, 21B, respectively,passing through the respective openings in the openings 18A `and 19A ineach respective lug 18 and 19. A pair of iCotter keys (not shown) passthrough the foot portions 21A and 21B to retain the hemisphericallyshaped end 21 within the respective lugs 18 and 19. A pair of cotterkeys 22 and 23 pass through the extremity of the foot portions 20A and20B of the end 20, and respectively retain a coil spring 23 and 24, eachbearing against an individual washer 25 and 26. Thus, the side rail 11rnay be resiliently flexed relative to the position of the side rail 12by the resilient urging of the springs 23 and 24 actin-g between thelugs 18 and 19 and the washers 25 and 26, respectively. A pair of rods27 and 28 are each fixedly attached to the ends 20 and 21 to form thebridging bars 13 into a cohesive integral unit.

A spring wire finger 29 is retained upon the side rail 11 by a screw 29Aand serves to retain the trim T in place against the opening 14.

A notch 60 is formed in the side rail 11 forming .a gaging surface 61and a second gaging surface 62 is disposed at the extremity of the rail11. The distance between the gaging surfaces 61 and 62 is equal to thedistance A. Thus, the gage 11 can be used at both ends. The two gagingsurfaces 61 and 62 are used such that the surface 61 abuts the opening14 and a section of the vertically disposed trim abuts the second gagingsurface 62.

In operation, the construction gage 10, as illustrated in FIGS. l and 5,is resiliently mounted within the opening 14 such that the gagingsurface 15 abuts the horizontal portion of the opening 14. The trim Twas previously cut to a measured distance which is the horizontal Widthof the opening 14, plus two times the distance B gives the finished cutlength of the lower portion of the trim T. With the trim marked, theangular portions are cut at 45.

A similar construction gage is also placed von the adjacent verticalportion of the opening 14, such that a pair of gages 10 support the trimT in each corner. The trim T is thereafter positioned upon the gagingsurface 16 and 17 on the construction gage 10, and the trim fixedlyattached to the opening 14 by such things as nails, screws, or otherfastening devices. The gage 10 is thereafter removed, and thereafter thevertical portions of the trim is applied, preferably using theembodiment of my construction gage as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the construction gage 30 includes a pair ofside rails 31 and 32 resiliently retained to each other by the bridgingbar 13, which is a similarconstruction to the bridging bar illustratedin FIG. 1.

The side rails 31 and 32 are symmetrically disposed, each having a pairof lugs 33 and 34 Iformed thereon which receive the respective footportions 20A and 20B and 21A and 21B extending from the ends 20 and 21,Irespectively, of the bridging bars 31. Both of the side rails 31 and 32are formed from angle iron, having an L-shaped cross section with an endportion 35 formed with an upstanding flange 36 abutting the verticalportion of the opening 14. The flange 36 forms a gaging surface for theconstruction gage 30. An outwardly extending fin 37 disposed at rightangles to the flange 36 has a gaging surface 38 formed thereon, whichabuts the trim T.

A spring steel finger 39 is attached to the side rail 32 by a screw 39Aand is used to retain trim T in place while it is being mounted.

In operation, the construction gage 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 isresiliently mounted upon the opening 14, and the trim T is cut to theproper length as described above and mounted upon the fiush portion ofthe opening 14. The trim T is abutted against the gaging surface 38 suchthat the spaced distance C is uniformly positioned along the entirelength of the trim T.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, another embodiment of my invention isa construction gage 40 that includes a pair of side rails 42 and 44resiliently retained by the bridging bars 13. The side rail 44 isL-shaped in cross section and has a pair of integrally formedrectangularly shaped lugs 46 and 48 through which the foot portions 20Aand 20B extend therethrough. The bridging bars 13 have been described infull with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, and repetition of theirdescription with regard to the present embodiment Would not lend furtherinformation to this disclosure. A combination gage and sawing jig 50 isintegrally formed at one end of the side rail 44.

The combination gage and sawing jig 50 includes an angular fiange 52having a platform 54 formed thereon. A wall 56 is fixedly mounted uponthe side rail 44, has mounted thereon an oblique shaped guide 58 fixedlyattached thereto by a plurality of screws 60. The guide 58 is positionedin spaced relation to the gaging surface 52.

The mating side rail 42 is shaped similar to the side rail 12 describedwith relation to the embodiment illus- 4 trated in FIG. 1, and thedescription of this side rail will not be repeated.

In operation, the lgage is placed upon the openlng as disclosed withrelation to FIG. l, such that the gaging surface 62 of the wall 56 abutsthe horizontal portion of the opening. A length of trim is insertedbehind the gage 40, such that the guide 50 overlaps the trim. In thisposition, a conventional carpenters saw is pla-ced between the guide 58and the platform 54, and the trim is sawed to length. In this position,without removing the trim the trim is thereafter nailed or permanentlyattached to the wall in a conventional manner. Thus, it may be seen thatthe gage performs both as a gaging device and a saw jig, whereby thetrim may be accurately positioned upon an opening in spaced relation tothe opening equivalent to the distance E as illustrated in FIG. 4. Byvirtue of the position of the guide 58 with yrelation to the gagingsurface 52, the trim may be cut to length and immediately attached tothe wall, which thereby eliminates the redundant steps of marking,cutting, and thereafter gaging the trim in position. Thus, it isapparent that the combination gage and saw jig eliminates steps in thetraditional manner of attaching trim to -an opening in a residence, suchas a doorway, window or the like.

Once the gage 40 is removed, another piece of trim may be installed in avertical position as disclosed in regard to the use of the constructiongage 10, illustrated in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A construction gage for positioning trim on a partially finishedrectangular doorway opening comprising: a first and second parallelchannel shaped side rails,

a first surface formed on the side rails for abutting a corner of thedoorway opening,

a second surface being formed on the first side rail and being disposedparallel and spaced from the rail first surface,

a third surface being formed on the first side rail, with the thirdsurface intersecting and being at an angle relative to the secondsurface,

a pair of spaced lugs being disposed on each of the side rails andextending from each of the rails in the same direction,

a pair of first and second spaced semicircular bridging bars eachincluding a pair of foot portions being disposed at right angles to thesemicircular bars and extending in the same direction,

the bridging bars including rods securing the bars together,

the first bridging bar foot portions extending one each through thefirst spaced side rail lugs and being secured thereto and the secondbridging bar foot portions one each extending through the second side:rail lugs and slidable therethrough,

a means for resiliently retaining the second bridging bar upon thesecond side rail lugs, and

a fiat spring being secured to the first side rails adjacent to the siderail second and third surfaces and the spring serving to retain the trimupon the doorway.

2. A construction gage for positioning trim on a partially finisheddoorway opening comprising:

a first and second rectilinear spaced yrail members having an L-shapedcross section,

bridging bars fixedly mounted to the first rail member Iand slidablymounted on the second rail member,

means for resiliently retaining the bridging bars in engagement with thesecond rail member,

a first gaging means for locating the gage within the corner of thedoorway disposed on at least one of the rail members,

a second gaging means for locating the trim vertically with relation tothe doorway and the means being disposed on the first rail,

a third gaging lmeans for locating the trim horizontally with relationto the doorway and the means being disposed on the first rail, and

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Magnuson 33-194Aronson.

Erickson 33-194 X Graham 33-197 Songer 33-85 10 LEONARD FORMAN, PrimaryExaminer. S. S. MATTHEWS, Assistant Examiner.

2. A CONSTRUCTION GAGE FOR POSITIONING TRIM ON A PARTIALLY FINISHED DOORWAY OPENING COMPRISING: A FIRST AND SECOND RECTILINEAR SPACED RAIL MEMBERS HAVING AN L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION, BRIDGING BARS FIXEDLY MOUNTED TO THE FIRST RAIL MEMBER AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE SECOND RAIL MEMBER, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY RETAINING THE BRIDGING BARS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECOND RAIL MEMBER, A FIRST GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE GAGE WITHIN THE CORNER OF THE DOORWAY DISPOSED ON AT LEAST ONE OF THE RAIL MEMBERS, A SECOND GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE TRIM VERTICALLY WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY AND THE MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON THE FIRST RAIL, A THRID GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE TRIM HORIZONTALLY WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY AND THE MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON THE FIRST RAIL, AND THE THIRD GAGING MEANS INCLUDING A SURFACE ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY OPENING, AND THE SECOND GAGING MEANS AND THRID GAGING MEANS EACH INCLUDING A SURFACE THEREON WHICH INTERSECT EACH OTHER. 